The present invention generally relates to the field of photodetecton. More specifically, the invention relates to the detection of photons using a semiconductor photodetector.
Owing to the known interaction between photons and electrons, advances have been made in the field of photodetectors in recent years, particularly in those photodetectors that utilize semiconductor materials. One type of semiconductor-based photodetector known as an PIN photodetector includes a number of semiconductve materials that serve different purposes such as absorption and passivation.
With many types of PIN photodetectors, the sensitivity and reliability of photodetectors degrade over time. Further, the photodetectors experience general fatigue and wear and tear. It is, therefore, desirable to present a photodetector that maintains high responsivity, high bandwidth, and low dark current over its intended lifetime, as well as being simple to fabricate.